SIR Winston Churchill's diamond-encrusted cigar box has gone on display at Blenheim Palace.

The ornate box, which is believed to be worth more than £1m, is part of a new exhibition on the former Prime Minister at his birthplace in Woodstock.

It was given to Sir Winston by the Belgian Congo and contains four cigars presented to him by King Peter of Yugoslavia, with bands depicting the Royal Coat of Arms.

An inscription inside translates as: ‘A tribute from the Belgian Congo which never despairs to the one who never despairs – Winston Spencer Churchill, Prime Minister of Great Britain at war.’

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The box, created by Wolfers Frères in Brussels, is made from green malachite and ivory, with a diamond encrusted handle and Churchill’s initials in gold on the lid.

Blenheim Palace’s head of house and collections, Kate Ballenger, described the 'stunning' box as 'incredibly eye-catching'. It is on loan from Randolph Churchill, Sir Winston's great grandson.

The exhibition at the UNESCO World Heritage Site also features a collection of the wartime leader's paintings, as well as an easel and palette.

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Many of his works were produced at Blenheim, with Sir Winston often using the vast grounds as a source of inspiration.

He was born on the estate in 1874, proposed to his wife Clementine in the palace's Temple of Diana in 1908 and is buried beside his parents in the cemetery of St Martin’s Church in nearby Bladon.